Senate didn’t buy any vehicle at N298m -Senator Sabi

The Senate has described reports on the price of the SUV which was impounded by the Nigeria Customs recently as unfounded.

The Senate spokesman, Senator Aliyu Abdullahi Sabi while briefing the media on the matter yesterday, said that amount quoted in the media is mischievous.

“Our attention has been drawn to the various false and mischievous reports in the media about the price of the vehicle which the Senate was said to have bought as part of its convoy but was later abandoned when it got impounded by the Customs over controversy surrounding import duty payment.

“The correct price of the vehicle, when it was imported in 2015, was $298,000 which at the prevailing rate of N165 to a dollar is about N49.2million. The Senate paid N62.5m for the vehicle in November 2015. This is contrary to the mischief by those who decided to turn the $298,000 to N298m as the price of the vehicle. For the avoidance of doubt, the price of that vehicle is N62.5m and not N298m,” he said.

Senator Sabi stressed that the Senate will appreciate it if all reports relating to the legislative institution, particularly on the vehicle matter, are reported with accuracy and all facts put in proper perspective. We urge journalists to avoid sensationalism.
He described the Senate as a responsible institution, warning that those who believe that when they have issues to explain before it, to stop resorting to falsehood, blackmail, muck-raking and mud-slinging, “they should know that they are just overheating the polity and undermining our democratic institution,” he added.

Sabi reiterated senate’s total commitment to upholding the rule of law and to work for Nigerians, in accordance with our constitution.